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Largest city and commercial centre of Palau
Photo: Abasaa, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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Very educational aquarium with a handful of open-air habitat exhibits and a single room of aquaria with various local aquatic life. The emphasis is on education, though the entire place is easily seen in 30-60 minutes. Exhibits include a topographical map of Palau; a re-creation of a mangrove swamp, a seagrass aquarium; an inner reef aquarium; an exhibition of coral and another of the country's famed jellyfish; deep-water aquaria and a couple of salt-water crocodiles in a cage just outside the main entrance. Good souvenir shop.
Learn about the history, culture and arts of the country. The main exhibition is about Palau throughout history; different aspects of their traditional lifestyle, the Spanish, Japanese and American eras as well as a section on the Taiwanese aborigines. The museum also features research and media libraries and some 4,500 objects, ranging from money and artworks to domestic utensils and canoes.
Another museum displaying the culture and history of Palau and Micronesia, housed in a building decorated with colored tiles and carved figures including a spider god who, according to legend, taught Palauan women how to give birth. The exhibits include mannequins presenting traditional clothing and situations, historical tools and money, canoes, shells, and art. It also houses a photography exhibition of the local wildlife, and the Captain Wilson Art Gallery displaying modern art. The museum has a gift shop with books, jewellery and storyboards, among other things.
A Catholic church finished in 1935 on the site of a church built during the Spanish rule. The low, white building with brown corners has a veranda with a bell tower that itself has a balcony on top of it.
PCC Track & Field Stadium
Hosts track and field competitions and the national soccer team's home games. Seating capacity of 4000.
A locally-owned tour operator that was also PADI's first dive center on Palau. NECO Marine Palau provides custom tours and boat charters, specializing in scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing. They can accommodate activities for large groups, customized private tours and almost everything in between. Divers are also able to enjoy up to 32% EAN Nitrox complimentary on all dives.
Concierge service dive shop. It is limited to three people per dive, and offer a Monday to Friday schedule where the person dives 14 times in 5 days. Also offers a liveboard option.
Attached to the Palau Pacific Resort. The equipment available for rental is of high quality, and either new or well maintained. The dive masters are also very experienced, responsible and know the dive sites very well. Splash runs a large, wide diveboat, carrying more than 20 divers.
The oldest dive center in Palau. They have two live-aboard vessels, and seven smaller (and faster!) dive boats, operating from their base in Koror. The guides are very professional and are more than willing to share their extensive knowledge of the ocean and the life in it. Divers can use Nitrox EAN 32 for the same price as air. Gas mixtures for technical divers are also available.
Offers diving, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing and land tours. They have some great guides who provide educational and environmental information about the sites. Sam's uses small, fast narrow boats which carry 4-8 divers.
Environmentally responsible professional sports fishing guides. They have experienced Palauan boat captains and Japanese and Western guides who make you feel welcome. Catch and release fish and have a great time! Great food too on their 8-m and 10-m boats.
Yano & Sons
Try the beef steamed in titiml leaves (a local plant that is often confused with basil), clams cooked in coconut, or local kangkun vegetables stir-fried with onions and garlic.
Try the fruit bat cooked in coconut if you are adventurous. Otherwise, the creamy taro leaf soup with coconut, local fish soup (which you can also have for breakfast with fried garlic rice), mangrove crabs in spicy sauce, grilled prawns and baked lobster with garlic butter are all must tries. This restaurant also has an excellent in-house bakery.
A popular Indian eatery. The menu options and prices trend upscale, but the atmosphere is laid back, including outdoor patio seating, and many diners come dressed in very casual attire befitting Koror's tropical climate.
A very casual place with typical pub fare and views of the water. Given its location at the dive center, it gets crowded and loud in the late afternoon when the dive boats return.
An outdoor restaurant with a swimming pool that is frequented by tourists and locals alike. The bar specializes in local beers and freshly-caught fish. Don't miss their Poke or spicy Poke Bowls. The menu also offers large burgers, sandwiches, steak, pizza, fish and chips, and vegetarian options. Reservations are recommended for dinner. Though the bar area and its couple of TVs have a roof overhead, some of the seating is pretty exposed, so check the weather before heading here for dinner.
An excellent "home town cafe"-style eatery, great for a quick bit of American-style food. Their portions are large and their prices reasonable (try the bread sticks). The cafe is run by Seventh-Day Adventists, so it is closed Friday 6PM to Saturday 6PM.
A bit hard to find for the first time but food is good and the nightlife always interesting.
In a small trailer near the courthouse in downtown Koror, and makes great burgers and milkshakes.
A good medium-range option with generous portions and well-prepared dishes of Japanese and local flavor, including coconut crab.
A locals bar where foreigners are warmly welcomed. With a patio perched on the edge of one of the rock islands and live bands most weekends, it's a good place to spend a Friday or Saturday evening. Located on the outskirts of Koror, you'll need a cab, which shouldn't set you back more than $10 to get to and from central Koror or PPR.
Great steaks and pastas, and it has the best bartender in Koror with a jewel of a collection of signature drinks and coffees. Also serves Red Rooster Draft on tap and is located right next door to the Palau Brewing Company, the country's own microbrewery. Brewery tours are also available upon request.
A nice and clean place to sleep and relax between days of outdoor activities. The building looks a bit shoddy from the outside, because the top floor is not finished. Rooms have AC, refrigerator, cable TV, 130-V and 230-V power outlets, shower/bath, towels, etc.
A cheaper alternative to the nearby Palau Pacific Resort (PPR), and offers free access to the PPR's private beach. The staff will be happy to help you book a dive tour if you wish. The restaurant is good and it has its own pool along with access to the pools at the PPR.
36 rooms overlooking the ocean lagoon and nearby islands. Rooms range from standard to deluxe rooms with kitchenettes, and a penthouse suite on with a large private veranda, whirlpool bath, kitchenette, and spacious living area. Also features the Red Rooster Cafe, which offers a wide selection of Japanese cuisine, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
30 rooms ranging from standard to deluxe. The hotel has a full-service grocery store complete with a large assortment of Western and Asian foods.
This charming option offers accommodation in several bungalows nestled in the hilly jungle. The bungalows are equipped with AC, satellite TV, attached bathrooms and bar fridges. Each also has an external patio with views over the ocean. Nice touches include the option to have breakfast served on your patio, and guests also have access to the Palau Pacific Resort's amenities so you can enjoy the beach and pool during the day.
Houses 71 rooms and three suites with Sealy Deluxe mattresses and amenities like 48-inch flat-screen TVs, stocked minibars and room service. The resort features include daily international buffet breakfast, the largest lagoon pool in Palau, a relaxed cocktail bar, onsite dining at The Hungry Marlin restaurant and bar, and concierge assistance offering custom dive and rock island tours and dolphin encounters.
PPR
A world-class resort on the outskirts of Koror with a pool, excellent restaurant with vaulted ceilings, free Wi-Fi and its own beautiful and semi-private beach. They run an hourly shuttle into Koror most evenings, or it will set you back about $5 each way for a private cab.
One of the newest hotels in Palau - catering largely to Japanese.
Has full-size grocery store, a drug-store, digital photo printing, The Athlete's Foot, and a full-service department store with a broad selection of local souvenirs.
By car
There are car rental companies at the airport, as well as rental desks at some of the large resorts.
By taxi
Koror has a sufficient number of taxis, though they can be difficult to find if you are out walking around.
By shuttle bus
In the evenings the BBI shuttle service is also an option. It operates roughly 5-10PM, with two shuttles plying the same route in opposite directions.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Babelthuap Island · International · ROR
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